


I'm Only Me When I'm With You

by NightFall68



Category: Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 00:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8946442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightFall68/pseuds/NightFall68
Summary: AU. Dave defeats Morgana and saves the world just like he did in the movie. But what about Balthazar? What if the resuscitation scene happened a little differently than the movie? Will Dave be able to save him? Or will he failed in the end?





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Okay, so this is my first attempt at writing something from Sorcerer's Apprentice so hopefully I have all the characters behaving like themselves and not out of character. If they are, in fact, out of character then I apologize and will try to fix that next time around. Btw, I still can't believe I missed seeing this movie when it first came out. If I had, I surely would have remember how awesome it was and wrote a story from the fandom a long time ago.
> 
> Note: This little story hasn't been seen by a beta yet. If you are a beta and would like to work on this, please send a PM or review and let me know. Title of the story comes from a wonderful song by Taylor Swift, "I'm Only Me When I'm With You."
> 
> Warning: Dave says some cusswords in the story. Not a lot, just a few.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerer's Apprentice or any of the characters, nor do I own any of the dialogue that is in this story from the movie. I do own the copy of the movie, though.

**Battery Park, New York City, New York**

**October 1, 2010   7:04 p.m.**

After beating Horvath and being reunited with his Master, Balthazar Blake, the rest of the battle with Morgana happened so fast that Dave didn’t really have a chance to process what was occurring around him. If he did, it would have cost the young apprentice his life, for the enemy would wait for no one before striking back. So the young man was mostly relying on instincts and science to get him safely through the fight.   

There was a feeling of dread swimming heavily in Dave’s stomach ever since the battle began. No, the emotion appeared sooner than that, it came about the time Balthazar fell off of Drake Stone’s balcony ledge and flew off on a steel eagle. The feeling was light at first, but as more time went on while the two sorcerers were separated, the heavier it became inside him. However, wishing to not worry his college friend, one Rebecca ‘Becky’ Barnes and for his sake of mind, the Apprentice ignored the emotion churning in his gut.

Instead, Dave pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on keeping Becky safe and away from the fight. Plus, he had to prepare himself for said confrontation. The young sorcerer knew what he was about to do was pure craziness. His dragon ring wasn’t on his index finger, which meant that he couldn’t perform any magic in order to help Balthazar. But to quote his Master, he had to try at least.

Yes, it might not be a good idea to enter a magical battle without his powers as the Merlinian’s aid could become more of a hindrance than help to the older man. After all, he hadn’t showed any signs of being a great sorcerer like Balthazar told him he would be, and the college student had tried several attempts at practicing magic without his ring with no success whatsoever. Honestly, if his Master knew what Dave was up to, he would surely have killed the young adult himself. Of course, both of them would have to be lucky enough to come out of the fight alive first for that to happened.

In Dave’s opinion, it felt like minutes had passed between him telling Balthazar that it was too late and Morgana’s star being disrupted, then vanishing completely thanks to Becky’s intervention. But in reality, was only a few seconds, yet it was enough time for his anxious feeling to transfers into happiness when the young man saw Morgana’s star disappearing in the dark sky. As a result, the Rising spell was forced to halt before the spell reached it’s successful ending.

If he knew what would occurred next, Dave would have…Well, honestly, he didn’t have the faintest idea of what he would have or could have done, for that matter. But the young apprentice would rather be doing something, anything to take away this helpless feeling he had inside him. He would give up his very life in order to shield Balthazar from the oncoming emotional pain as they watched Veronica/Morgana collapsed to the ground. The ancient yet still beautiful sorceress lying lifelessly on the cold, hard concreate below her.

“Veronica,” Dave heard his Master cried out in fear, rushing to her side as quick as his injured body would allow. Similarly, he too hurried over, wanting to be closer to the pair, but still far enough away to give them their needed space. The young Apprentice felt sick with apprehension for the woman he had never met before, wondering if she was alright and just unconscious or dead.

Honestly, Dave wouldn’t wish this terrible experience on anyone. No matter if the person was friend or foe, no one deserved to be controlled for such a selfish or evil plot. Everyone should have a right to their own freewill. He knew how much Balthazar cared about the dark-haired woman he held lovingly in his strong, warm arms and felt sympathy and concern for both sorcerer and sorceress. And all of this was a result from an evil ritual being stop in mid-performance and backfiring. Likewise, the failure of the spell caused the host’s form of his Master’s beloved to crumple on the hard ground, showing no visual sign of life.

“Is she…umm…” Dave trailed off, unsure if he should say the horrible word out loud for fear it would become a reality. But Balthazar knew what his Apprentice was silently asking him. _Is she dead?_

Balthazar tenderly lifted Veronica’s head up higher in his arms, his aquamarine blue eyes fixed on the beautiful woman he clearly loved. Slowly, he switched the weight of her upper torso to be held in one muscular arm while sweetly stroking her cheek with his free hand. Not willing to give an answer to Dave’s question until he checked, the Master shifted the hand that was caressing her cheek fondly down to her neck. When his two fingers arrived at the correct place, he pressed down on the pulse point under her pale skin, searching for any sign that she could still be alive.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Balthazar replied in a heartbreaking voice before bowing his head down in anguish. “Veronica’s dead, but Morgana is still with us. Still trapped in Veronica’s body.”

Dave swallowed hard, a wave of sorrow washing over the Apprentice for Balthazar’s loss and Veronica’s tragic death. He began to opened his mouth, preparing to say something that could help his Master in this difficult moment of his long life. Yet, the young man knew there was nothing he could possibly utter that would lessen the man’s agonizing suffering. But before he could produce a sound, much less a syllable, the Prime Merlinian was halted in his tracks by a dark cloud of…sand?...spilling out of the recently dead woman’s nostrils.

Although it was still too early to tell, Dave had a strong suspicion of what that cloud of particles really was instead of simply being sand. The dark cloud couldn’t be anything but Morgana coming out of the sorceress’ motionless figure. Only her soul, however. Morgana had lost her own physical form over a thousand years ago on the very same day that Merlin died in Balthazar’s arms.

“Apparently, not for long,” Dave said, referring to Balthazar’s previous statement. “Here she comes now.”

As Balthazar carefully lowered Veronica’s slender physique to the ground, the dark cloud had stop pouring out of her nose and rising in the air. It hovered above the two sorcerers for a short period of time before moving several feet away.  Then, the dark cloud started to change rapidly; the mass of particles turning into a transparent image of an auburn-haired woman wearing a slim dark dress.

“How sweet,” Morgana mocked in a creepy voice as she floated a foot or two off the ground. “But don’t worry, my dear Balthazar. You won’t have to grieve for your beloved for much longer, for I intend to send you along to join her. The boy behind you will go as well once I’m through with you.” She paused for a moment before adding, “And now we end this.”

Morgana’s transparent hands moved side-to-side, creating a fireball spell in between her palms. Obviously, she was preparing to attack the last two Merlinians in front of her.

“NO!” Balthazar yelled in alarm, proceeding to rise from his kneeling position as swiftly as he could. The Master didn’t want Dave to get hurt and knew he had to protect his Apprentice from Morgana’s oncoming attack. But whatever the older man might have done next didn’t occurred because the young sorcerer had jumped into the fight. He ran up and stood in front of the elder sorcerer’s semi-crouch stance, shielding the pair from the onslaught of fire. Without…wearing…Merlin’s…dragon…ring!

“No way,” Dave breathy whisper in astonishment, realizing that he was preforming magic without the aid of his dragon ring. He turned his head to looked at Balthazar behind him. His Master also had a surprise expression on his cut and bruise face. “No ring,” the Apprentice simply told the older man.

“It is you, Dave,” the Master sorcerer said in returned.

“The Prime Merlinian,” Morgana stated knowingly, realizing what she was seeing before her. The fire curse continued to slammed into Dave’s shield, faster and stronger than before. Seconds later, she stopped firing the spell, planning on shooting off another one at the two troublesome men. “Fools,” the evil sorceress cried out in anger while Balthazar rose to his feet behind his Apprentice.

Morgana launched a white-colored hex at Balthazar, who quickly pulled up a shield to protect himself. But the protection the shield provided him was obviously not enough. As the sorceress’ spell hit the shield, it shattered in several pieces like shards from a broken mirror. Now, without anything to protect the Master, the magic ended up going through the broken shield and crashing into it’s intended target.

“Balthazar,” Dave exclaimed in fear at hearing the soft groan of pain from behind him.

The next thing Dave knew, Balthazar was hit by another white-colored curse. Due to the magic successfully hitting it’s mark, it forced him to fly backwards through the air, rolling down the steps to the fountain. Eventually, he came to rest by landing hard on the concrete with a dull _thud_ sound.

Dave watched on, feeling utterly helpless. His mind drawing a blank on what spells would halt the flying or cushion his fall to the ground. Once he saw Balthazar had stopped tumbling after his rough landing, the young Apprentice returned his attention to his opponent. With determination bubbling hotly in his veins, he was ready for another fight with Morgana. The young man felt the intense need to avenged his Master and he could only do that by beating the wicked sorceresss. Hopefully before anyone else winded up hurt or dead.

“Now it’s my turn,” Dave said fearlessly, chocolate brown eyes narrowed angrily as they locked onto the unremorseful woman.

Dave suddenly lowered his hands down to his waist, two balls of white light appearing in each palm. Then, he raised his arms to his chest before the young Apprentice brought his hands together with a few inches of space between them. The two balls of bright light formed into one large orb before he released the spell. It zoomed through the air, missing Morgana completely and hit an electricity building several feet away.

“Is that the best that you can do,” Morgan taunted him, focusing once more on Dave after watching the spell make contact with the structure.

“I sure hope not.”

Again, Dave abruptly lowered his hands down to his waist level with two new white balls of light developing in each palm. And like last time, he lifted his hands up to chest-level and allowed the two balls to become one. However, instead of targeting the building this time, the young Apprentice threw the spell in Morgana’s direction, the light speeding closer and closer to her every second. Undoubtedly, the spell would have smacked into the ancient sorceress if part of her spirit didn’t split neatly in the middle. Therefore, creating a large circle in the transparent image as the ball of light went through it and missing her for the second time.

For the third time, Dave threw his hand down to his waist and raised them up seconds later with the two balls of white light hovering in each palm. Then, he shot them off at his enemy, watching them as they zipped through the cold fall air of New York. Unfortunately, like last time, Morgana’s spirit separated. However, it was different this time around because it happened in two places. One in the chest area and the other in the middle, thus causing the spells to go through her for the second time.

Dave fired off another ball of light at Morgana’s redhead and hoped fervently they would collide with their goal. But again, the spell missed it’s target because her head parted precisely in two halves. Something you would normally see if you were cutting a piece of cake for two individuals to eat, not a spirit.

Morgana’s head fused back together, like it never had split to begin with. Dave stared at the malevolent sorceress in front of him, a subtle expression of fear and exhaustion covering his young features despite the fact that he had glimpses of determination still shinning in his brown eyes. His breathing was heavy and raggedly, like he had just ran a long distance marathon instead of battling it out against an old woman with magic. Apparently, the several spells that the Apprentice had launched in her direction had tired him out more than he realized.  

“And now it’s my turn,” Morgana declared happily before firing off a white-colored spell at Dave, which ended up hitting him on his side. When she shot off another spell of the same color, he brought his hands up with a new light forming. However, the young Apprentice’s intentions for the magic wasn’t to attack his adversary, but to shield himself from yet another assault of magic from the sorceress. Unfortunately, his defense didn’t have enough time to work properly. For by the time the shield was halfway decent, the spell went right through it and he received another blow from her. The Morganaian sent off another strike and the good sorcerer was smacked with the spell for the third time. Furthermore, the remaining shield that he was successful in creating to protect himself was beginning to break swiftly in pieces.

Two more times, magic slammed into Dave through the shatter remains of his shield. His defense becoming even more useless than before at defending him from the onslaught of spells. Next thing he knew, multiple spells of white light attack him in a rapid barrage, destroying more of the shield as the magic continued to slammed into the Apprentice.

“Come on,” Dave murmured, praying silently that his plan would succeed so he could end this fight soon. Immediately, another round of magic assaulted the Apprentice’s body through his smashed shield. “Climb,” he growled in agony, each spell that connected with his slim form felt like a sharp, burning knife stabbing him. And with it, came the excruciating pain that boiled and sizzled in his veins like hot lava from an exploding volcano that haven’t gone off in decades.

With three more hits, Dave’s shield collapsed completely, leaving him with absolute no protection now. “You have Merlin’s powers, but you don’t have his strength or his skill. You are still weak,” Morgana jeered as she created another spell to send his way.

“But I’m not alone,” Dave spoke, clenching his teeth hard from the agony. His breathing was still raggedly as he stared tiredly at Morgana. “I brought a little science with me.” There was a pause for a moment and then, “Now!” he shouted.

In an instant, Morgana was struck with electricity from all the lamps that were surrounding her around the fountain, electrocuting the sorceress in the process. Dave heard her gasped, either in surprise or pain. He wasn’t entirely sure and didn’t really care anyway. The only thing the Apprentice really wanted was to finished the battle with the Morganian and check on Balthazar. He wanted to make sure his Master was alright since the young man hadn’t heard a sound from the guy since his flight down the stairs.

While Dave heard more cries coming from Morgana over the loud sounds of electrocution, a brilliant light show only seen at a Led Zepplin’s concert was created from the electricity rays. As this was occurring, he drew up more energy to form a spell before flinging it at her. Then in a similar manner, the young Apprentice fired off a barrage of spells like a machine gun directly at the sorceress. Thankfully, that final blow resulted in her defeat.

With the battle finally over, Dave leaned over with his hands coming to rest on his knees. He was trying to catch his breath after participating in such a strenuous activity, and the pain and exhaustion his body was currently experiencing didn’t help matters either. The Apprentice watched the rest of Morgana’s spirit disappear before he turned about to go to Balthazar, fully intending to check on him now that he was free to do so.

“I did it! Balthazar, I actually did it!” Dave exclaimed with a proud grin on his weary face. He won the fight against Morgana without the aid of his dragon ring, without help from any other sorcerer’s. The Apprentice truly believed now that he was the Prime Merlinian after all. He made a promise to himself not to brushed the title off from now on, like the many times in the past whenever his Master would mention it to him.

Dave truly believed now and the powerful magic that was surging inside him verified it. He knew Balthazar would be very proud of him, either giving his Apprentice a compliment for beating Morgana or gifting him with a warm, happy smile that he often received from his Master for finally succeeding at a particularly difficult spell.

But all Dave received in return for his success was silence and the sight of his Master lying lifelessly on the ground like Veronica. “Balthazar?” he called out with hesitation clearly heard in his voice. Panic and fear rose in the Apprentice’s chest, forming a tight ball that lodged itself in his throat when he didn’t receive a response from the man. The Master Sorcerer just laid there on the concrete, not moving, not even breathing with a colorless face.

_Lifeless..._

_Motionless…_

_Lack of reply…_

_Not breathing…_

_Gone…Dead…_

“No, no, no, no. It’s not over. He can’t just… die. I just…Not now,” Dave stammered to himself as tears were welling up in his chocolate brown eyes.

Dave’s heart felt like it had been ripped roughly from his chest, shredded to tiny pieces and then fall into a small pile at his feet. And before he could say or do anything to prevent it, the little pile that was once his heart was stomped on sharply and repeatedly, without a care for his feelings or pain.

‘ _No, this can’t be happening! This can’t be real!’_ Dave cried in anguish silently in his head. The pain he received from the battle with Morgana was nothing compared to the excruciating, heart-breaking pain in the middle of his chest. _‘Balthazar wasn’t supposed to die! No one was supposed to be killed tonight! Balthazar promised to be there for me, he was supposed to be here by my side. How could I have allowed this to happen to my friend, my mentor, my love?’_

Dave froze in surprise at the last thought. _Love? Did he truly love Balthazar or was this some sick side-effect resulting from his horrible and tragic loss?_

The sorcerer pondered on the matter for a few moments, searching deep inside him for an honest answer. He received one not too long after, remembering every time he felt jealous when Balthazar would mention his beloved’s name. While the Apprentice knew that Veronica was probably a nice, sweet woman and a great friend to his Master, he wanted that special attention, that special love all for himself. Everything about the older man…everything the Master Sorcerer did, interested him greatly. So much that the young man often pretended that he wanted to quit training for the night so the new sorcerer could go home and rest. Of course, that forcing the man to tell Dave that his training wasn’t yet over for the night, which gave the Prime Merlinian more time to spend in the elder sorcerer’s presence. Yet the possibility of losing Balthazar, not just as a friend or Master, but as someone he could see himself in a loving relationship with, killed the Merlinian than anything Horvath or Morgana could send his way. A world without Balthazar Blake wasn’t a world that Dave Stutler wanted to be in, to live happily ever after in.

And he’d be damned if he was just going to simply sit by and allow Death to take his Master, this wonderful, caring, insane, _old_ man from him without a fight.

 “No, that’s not good enough,” Dave stated determinedly, a calm expression swapping with the sadness and grief on his young face. It may have seemed like the Apprentice was calm on the outside, but inside was a whole different story. Internally, he was dealing with a whirlpool of emotions, trying to hold them back so the young man wouldn’t become consumed in his grief and misery. His caring, warm brown eyes were shining brightly, making them look like milk chocolate as he struggled in the battle against the flood of tears that were wishing to escape.

Dave stood up, when did he do that? He didn’t remember sitting down or deciding to sit on the steps, for that matter. But the young Apprentice didn’t have time nor did he truly care to search his memory for such a trivial thing when Balthazar needed him the most right now.

With brand-new strength and determination zooming through Dave’s veins, throughout his form, he hurried down the steps as the hot tears were unleased, flowing like a river down his cheeks. Without saying another word, the young Apprentice placed his hands slightly out in front of his body with his palms raised. His chocolate brown eyes locked on Balthazar’s figure, his flesh taking on a sickly grayish color.

Dave lifted his arms and with a sharp crack of his wrists, a circle of bright red flames swiftly encircled the duo. “All right, here we go, buddy,” he told himself before sending up a silent prayer that he would be successful in reviving Balthazar.  The Apprentice lowered himself to his blue jeans clad knees beside the man he loved more than a friend, more than a Master. Dave Stutler was _in love_ with this sorcerer and didn’t even know it until now. Balthazar Blake had capture his heart and Dave didn’t want to see anyone else with it other than him.

“Here we go.” Dave would not let Death win. He would not lose Balthazar to Death. The young Apprentice may have just finished a fight with Morgana, and was exhausted – physically and magically – but he was ready to enter another one. This time, the fight would be personal, only for him and not for all of mankind.

“Listen…” Dave summoned a plasma bolt, which instantly appeared in his hands. “You…you with all your stupid,” he paused to press his palms to Balthazar’s chest, shocking the heart in the process, “rules…and all those old man shoes…” Another set of plasma shocks pressed to the man’s heart. “…and you’re constantly saving me with that look in your eyes…dammit, come on!” Another few shocks to the chest as his tears changed from crying to loud, heart-wrenching sobs that shook his slim frame violently.

 _Come on,_ Dave thought to himself, beginning to panic. _Why wasn’t this working? It’s supposed to work just like the defibrillators that the doctors used in the hospitals and in television shows._

“Fucking come on!” Dave shouted in a mix of frustration, fear, panic, and sadness.

“Come on.” This time, Dave said it softer than the last two. It was almost a plea now. A plea to Balthazar, to the world, to any Gods out there who would listen…

“Come on,” Dave whispered, the fight leaving him rapidly as tears continued to pour down his heart-broken countenance. “Please, Balthazar, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me alone to deal with the sorcery…and being the Prime Merlinian! I can’t do this by myself! I need you to keep training me! I…t-there something important I..I n-need to tell y-you, before it’s t-too late,” he stuttered through his sobbing and hot tears. Then the Apprentice took another second to plead with all the Gods and Merlin to save this wonderful man because this was his last chance before the young man would be force to give up. “I just…r-realize that I…I’m in…in love with you. Truly, honestly in love with you. I…I don’t know when I fell for you…or…or what particularly attracted me…to you. Maybe it’s the three hundred and fifty years-old rawhide, trench coat that made you…look hot wearing it. Or maybe…the long, messy hair. Or…the mustache and…and beard. Or the…ridiculous old man’s shoes that you forced me to wear all the time. Or even…your crazy ideas or…insane personality. I…I don’t know.”

“What I do…know is that…I love you…and I…I don’t want you to…leave,” Dave continued on with his heart-felt speech. “I…love you…so much…that I don’t…want to…live in a…a world without…you in it. So…so please…please come back to me, Balthazar.”

Dave bowed his head, no longer summoning plasma bolts to resuscitate Balthazar. The fight inside him was truly and utterly gone. All the desperate begging and pleading was apparently futile because his Master still hadn’t move or breathe since the young Apprentice had ran to his side. He made a fist, as tight as the sorcerer could make it and screamed internally, screaming out the unfairness and misery that he felt. Balthazar, his beloved Balthazar was dead. It was too late. Dave had been too late, too weak, to powerless to stop Death from taking the older man from him. It was all his fault…

The Prime Merlinian moved his head so it was over Balthazar’s face, his warm lips hovering only inches away from his Master’s cold ones. _“Please_ ,” he pleaded for the very last time before slowly pressing his lips against the older man’s, gently moving them over the other pair, wishing to keep the kiss chaste and light under the circumstance. Tears, which were still falling from the Apprentice’s chocolate brown eyes, splashed onto the Master Sorcerer’s face, wetting the two areas that the hot tears landed on.

Dave was about to leaned back, to break the kiss and move on…to figured out what to do next, to figured out what he should do with two corpses without bringing attention or unnecessary questions to be ask of him. The Apprentice was slowly pulling his head back, his lips only centimeters apart, when he felt a warm hand on the back of his head, gently pushing it back down so the two pairs of lips were touching once more. Seconds later, the younger man felt fingers slowly running through his hair in a loving manner along with a sensation of warm, soft lips lightly massaging his own. _Kissing him!_

The sorcerer’s brown eyes widened in surprise and he pulled back, breaking the kiss. He focused on Balthazar’s feature, expecting to see his Master’s aquamarine blue eyes open and looking at him. Instead, his eyes were still close, and if it weren’t for the kissed the two just shared a moment ago or the older man’s chest beginning to rise and fall, Dave would have thought he was dreaming it all up. But no, he could see and even feel the Master Sorcerer breathing steadily with his two eyes in front of him.

“I had a dream…” And there was his Master’s wonderful voice.

“…you were insulting me, Dave…repeatedly.” Balthazar’s voice was soft and hoarse, but despite that, it was music to Dave’s ears.

“Me?” Dave said with happy relief, tears still dripping down his cheeks. “That’s pretty weird, huh?”

“No…kind of makes sense,” Balthazar admitted as his blue eyes, his beautiful, mystical eyes that Dave felt as if they could see into his very soul, finally opened fully. A large smile appeared onto the Apprentice’s face when his chocolate brown eyes met with more experienced hues that belonged to his Master.

“Yeah,” Dave stuttered happily, quickly wiping his eyes and cheeks to get rid of the tears that were slowly beginning to halt on his countenance. Balthazar shifted, beginning to raised his upper body up to sit up, but had to pause in mid-position because of the shooting agony coming from his ribs. He hissed slightly from the pain.

“Balthazar!” He cried out in alarm. Dave carefully pushed his Master back down so that he was once again lying flat on his back on the concreate floor. “Are you hurt? Duh,” he spoke, lightly smacking his forehead in stupidity for asking such a dumb and obvious question. “Of course you’re hurt. Let me check you over for other injuries real fast and then we can see about getting you into a sitting position.”

“I’m fine, Dave,” Balthazar stated, slightly exasperation but was mostly amused at how concern his Apprentice was for his wellbeing.

Dave shook his head in disagreement and gave his Master a dark look. “You’re obviously not fine if you’re hissing in pain. Now, quit trying to act so tough and let me look you over before I decided to tie you down to something and then examined you for injuries,” The Apprentice shook his head in frustration. “Honestly, if the roles were reverse, _you_ would be the one making _me_ stay on the ground until you have assessed me for injuries.”

The corners of Balthazar’s lips twitched up, itching to form a smile at Dave’s exasperation at his hypocritical behavior. “Thank you.”  

“No problem. Now, stay still and let me check you over,” Dave commanded gently. “Or…you could tell me the injuries you have while I do the examination,” he compromised. “Either way, you’re not getting out of it.”

Dave started at the top with Balthazar’s head, gently prodding all around the skull for possible bumps or blood due to a head injury. A minute later, he declared, “Well, you don’t have a head injury, thankfully. Which is good because I don’t feel up to the task of waking you up every two hours.” Next, the Apprentice checked over his Master’s face, immediately noticing some bruises forming and some minor cuts on his cheeks, but nothing else was broken. The younger man’s hands continued to move lower, next checking his neck before swiftly moving on to his shoulders.

“Well, I know I have some cuts and bruises, especially on my face, as you obviously noticed,” Balthazar began, slowly listing off his injuries. “My left ankle is either badly sprained or broken, possibly the foot at well. I might have dislocated my right shoulder, I’m not entirely sure but it’s hurting pretty badly. I injured my ribs, I heard a few cracks earlier, so I know I broke at least one or two; but I don’t know the exact number, which side, or what state they are in. I somehow hurt both arms, but I don’t think they are broken. At least, I sincerely hope they aren’t. And that is all of my injuries I believe I sustained from the battle with Horvath and Morgana.”

Nothing else was said for the next few minutes as Dave continued to examined Balthazar. The only sounds that were made were hisses and soft groans of pain coming from the Master whenever his Apprentice would touch a tender or injured area, which he later would apologized for before moving on to the next place. Finally, the younger man straightened up from hovering over the Master Sorcerer’s frame and came back up to kneeled beside him at stomach-level.

“I think you are right about the injuries you listed. All the places are obviously hurt and you definitely have a dislocated shoulder,” Dave told him.

Balthazar nodded his head. “I figured as much,” he confessed. “Now, help me sit up, will you? I’m getting tired of laying on the hard ground.”

With some help from Dave, it wasn’t much longer before Balthazar was in a sitting position on the ground. After making sure that his Master was okay…well, okay at the moment, and wasn’t going to fall backwards, Dave gently wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck. “Don’t ever do that to me again, you hear?” the Apprentice mumbled into his neck, enjoying the warmth coming from the man. “Don’t scare me like that.”

Dave paused, pulling away from the man and finding the older man’s aquamarine blue eyes with his own brown ones. “I honestly thought I had lost you there for a few minutes,” he softly admitted, his voice highlighted with past heart-break that he had experience just several minutes earlier.

“I know and I’m sorry about that,” Balthazar apologized with sincerity, genuine sorry for worrying Dave like that without meaning too. He carefully reached over, winching a little from the movement and took one of his Apprentice’s hands in his large callused one, intertwining their fingers together and giving the younger man a reassuring squeeze.  

“It’s okay. I’m just glad that you are back, old man. The world wouldn’t be the same without you,” Dave teased him, but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice as well.

“I’m sure the world would have been fine without me,” Balthazar assured Dave. “Besides, I don’t really care about that. It’s _you_ that I care about.” Pausing for a moment, to sort out what he wanted to say next, the Master locked his blue eyes on his Apprentice’s. “I heard what you said earlier, Dave. I heard _everything_ ,” he emphasized on the last word, wanting no room for misunderstanding. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, he opened them again and the younger man saw the serious looked in his aquamarine blue eyes. “Did you really mean what you said? Are you really in love with me or was that just a way to bring me back?”

Dave shook his head in disbelief. “I know it’s only been a few weeks since we met, so you don’t know me that well, but do you _honestly_ think I would be that cruel?” he asked.

Balthazar shook his head in a negative. Dave was right, they haven’t known each other for very long, but just in that short of time, he knew for a fact that his Apprentice would never be that cruel to a person or an animal. He didn’t even think there was a mean bone in the young man’s body, anyway. The young sorcerer wasn’t that type of individual and Merlin’s ring wouldn’t have picked him if he was.

“Good, because what I said earlier was true. _All of it._ I’m completely in love with you, Balthazar Blake.”

Balthazar pulled Dave closer to him, carefully wrapping his bruise and sprained arms around his Apprentice, wanting to have the young man in his arms when he gave his confession. “I’m happy to hear that, Dave. Wait, what’s your middle name?”

Dave looked at Balthazar with a confused expression on his countenance at the out-of-the-blue question. “Andrew…” he answered, baffled.

The Master nodded his head in acknowledgement. “As I was saying, I’m happy to hear that because I’m unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you, David Andrew Stutler.”

Dave pulled back slightly, enough to looked into Balthazar’s blue eyes. “Really?’ he asked, happiness showing on his young face.

“Really,” Balthazar agreed, amusement shinning like stars in his gorgeous, aquamarine blue eyes. If he knew that this would be Dave’s reaction to him confessing his love for the young man, the Master would have admitted his feelings several days ago. However, that didn’t matter now because his dream was finally becoming a reality, and he got to hold his Apprentice that he loved very much in his arms, something the older man had been wanting to do for days.

“God, I need to kissed you again,” Dave whispered, hungry for more contact with the man.

With that being said, Dave did so without giving Balthazar a chance to reply. The Apprentice leaned in, closing the gap between them as swiftly as he could, captured his Master’s lips with his. When their lips met, Dave was pulled into a state of utter bliss, sparks spreading throughout his physique like wildfire. While his inexperience lips were lock with the older man’s, each pair of lips slowly and tenderly caressing and stroking the other, the young sorcerer slid his hands onto the back of Balthazar’s neck, resting there for several long seconds before following the path for higher ground. It wasn’t long after when the Prime Merlinian’s fingers found the Master Sorcerer’s long, messy blond hair and threaded themselves in his attractive lock.

In Dave’s opinion, it truly felt like he was in heaven, kissing this man in his arms. The kiss became even more enjoyable when Balthazar began rubbing circles on the Apprentice’s back, sending shivers of pleasure to run down his spin. Then, his Master’s took the younger man’s smooth, flawless cheeks in his callus hands, his thumbs lovingly tracing an invisible line over Dave’s pale white flesh.

For Balthazar, the sensation was no different. The soft pressure and friction created against his moist red lips truly felt amazing. Warmth washed over him like a warm blanket on a cold New York day, the starting point beginning from his lips before spreading out to all corners of his form. The Master knew that no matter how many times he would be kissed by Dave, he would never get enough of it. He would always be eager for more contact. It was understandable that the older man felt this way since it’s been ten years without contact from another human being and even longer since he had such intimate contact. Over a thousand years, in fact, since the man last been kissed, so his lips were greatly out of practice, but his Apprentice didn’t seem to mind. In fact, it appeared that the young man was liking the awkward movements.

Dave’s tongue reached out and gently brushed against Balthazar’s lower lip, and he opened his mouth to the Apprentice, allowing him entrance. The younger man eagerly explored the older man’s mouth, experiencing his taste, which matched his scent – leather, musk, and old books in a perfect blend. The kissed was filled with emotion, coming from both sorcerers, meeting equally, both of them desperate to show each other their hearts as their tongues participated in a dance that was almost as old as time. The kiss was right, it was perfect. It was everything that a kiss could ever be, a kiss that could say so many things to the other without uttering a single word.

Dave honestly wanted nothing more than to stay this way, in this kiss, forever, but eventually human needs for oxygen got the best of the pair. When the men finally pulled away, Balthazar was already missing the physical contact from his Apprentice and pressed their foreheads together, skin against delicious skin, blue eyes staring deeply into brown with their lips still parted, both still panting heavily.

“You know,” Dave spoke once his heart rate was back to normal. “As much as I’m enjoying this, because I really am, we should probably go before someone see us.”

“You’re right,” Balthazar reluctantly agreed, suddenly anxious. “This city is never this quiet for very long. We need to move fast before the cops come along.”

“Yeah, that would be no fun. Trying to explain what happened without revealing that we are actual sorcerers and that we just fought two evil Morganaians, who wanted to rule and enslave the human race,” Dave commented, stumbling to his feet before turning to help Balthazar stand. When the Master found his feet, he staggered backward in exhaustion and his Apprentice was quickly able to steady him by holding tightly to his waist. Perspiration was starting to bead on the older man’s countenance, and he raised a trembling hand to wiped it from his forehead.

“You’re sweating an awful lot,” Dave pointed out. “Are you getting a fever from your injuries?” he asked, suddenly concern. Balthazar was all too aware of his injures, and his sheer exhaustion. He was in bad shape, and if his Apprentice hadn’t check him for injuries, he probably wouldn’t have shown it. At least not right away.

“I believe so,” Balthazar admitted, swaying a little. Thankfully, he managed to stay on his feet, and then he studied Dave’s appearance, immediately noticing his unhealthy pallor, sweat-covered forehead and an expression of sheer exhaustion on his features. “And from the looks of it, you are getting a fever and about ready to passed out. Which is no surprise, since you used a great deal of magic. So my guess would be magical exhaustion.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Unless you also received injuries during the fight that I don’t know about. Which is another reason why a fever would have cropped up. Do you?” he wondered, turning into his stern Master once more, despite his current health situation.

Dave shook his head in negative, “No, no injuries. Just some bruises, is all.”

“Well, once we are back at the lab, you and I are going to be confined to bedrest until our fevers are gone and I’m fully healed.”

“I can agree to that, just as long as I can take care of your injuries first.” Receiving a dark look from Balthazar, Dave realized what his Master meant by that look and swiftly added, “With no magic, I promise. But we really should tape up your ribs before they get worst.”

“Alright, but after you’re through patching me up, you’re going to bed and staying there until _your_ fever breaks. I don’t need you falling unconscious because you weren’t resting like you should be.”

“Fine with me, but I get to stay in the same bed as you. Oh,” Dave uttered, eyes widened as he suddenly remembered something. Unsure how to approached the topic of Veronica, he hesitatingly mentioned, “Speaking about magic, what do we do with Veronica’s body? For that matter, how are we going to move her? You’re badly injured and I’m exhausted magically and physically.”

“Yes, Veronica,” Balthazar seemed to have forgotten as well. His aquamarine blue eyes closed in obvious grief for his first loved and Dave felt sympathy for the man. The Apprentice didn’t say a word, just silently comforted his Master by softly rubbing his back and squeezing his waist in reassurance, knowing that he needed to grieve for Veronica in a healthy manner so the older man could heal faster. The younger man may have been jealous of the woman because she had Balthazar’s love, but he never wanted the woman dead either. She truly didn’t deserve such a fate.

“I could use magic to carry her back to the car but it would drained me immensely with my injuries. So it would probably be best if we put her back in the grimhold until we can take care of the burial properly,” Balthazar stated, tiredly.

“Okay. Will you be alright for a minute while I go take care of her?”

“Yes, but hurry back.”

Dave nodded, grabbed the nesting doll that was laying on the ground nearby and hurried over to the fountain where Veronica still laid. Once the Apprentice was close to her, he kneeled down, whispering an “I’m sorry. I will take good care of him, I promise,” before opening the grimhold, the inescapable and non-magic prison that rapidly sucked her form inside. The young man closed the grimhold once the older woman was completely inside, and carefully carried it back to Balthazar. His Master took it from him and placed it in one of his many pockets in his leather, trench coat before putting his arm around the young sorcerer's shoulders.

“Come on, let’s go home, Dave.” And with that said, the two sorcerers started walking to Balthazar’s car.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoy the second chapter. Please tell me if you like it or not, or what I can do to improve my writing. I welcome freely constructive criticism, but don't be mean about it.


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